Gratitude, giddiness as Sherwood students enter their new school

The new Sherwood Middle School building is officially open for learning. Students endured the cold as they made the long-anticipated move into the new building Jan. 23.

At the start of their first day back from the holiday weekend, nearly 1,000 fifth and sixth graders processed out of the old building and into the brand-new 130,000-square-foot building next door.

Not even single-digit temperatures could curb the palpable excitement, as students and teachers alike buzzed throughout the short parade.

“It feels unbelievably exciting,” said Principal Jane Lizotte, who led the procession. “I'm very, very grateful to the community for supporting the project.”

That gratitude was, quite literally, at the forefront of festivities. A group of students at the front of the crowd carried a handmade sign that read: “Thank you Shrewsbury.”

The plan to build a new Sherwood school had been more than a decade in the making, after studies showed the old building was overcrowded and out of date. The old building will be demolished in the summer.

In 2010, voters approved the $47.3 million project, and the $22.3 million debt exclusion to fund it, with the difference to be paid by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.

Construction began in May 2011, and the new school was expected to open in fall 2013. But the project was consistently ahead of schedule and under budget, coming in at about $6 million less than anticipated.

The new school features a “neighborhood” design in which five clusters of classrooms are arranged around a common room to increase collaboration and flexibility between the different classes.

“It's going to offer more opportunities for students to work together,” said Ms. Lizotte. “We know that students and adults work best when they work with others to problem-solve and make decisions, and this building offers many opportunities for those things to happen.”

Superintendent Joe Sawyer agreed, saying that both teachers and students are right to be excited.

“This will be an outstanding place for kids to learn for decades to come,” he said. “It's a great investment in our community, and I couldn't be more proud or grateful.”

The building makes use of the latest technology, including support for Sherwood's student iPad program, which, started this year and using some of the building project's funding, has put the devices in the hands of all students and faculty. Classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, digital projectors, audio systems and wireless networks robust enough to support the iPad program.

According to Ms. Lizotte, the integrated technology will give teachers new ways to present information to students and more opportunities for students to learn about the world, both locally and across the globe.

“A lot of what these systems offer us is immediate communication with people and resources from all over,” she said. “The teachers have worked hard to learn new ways of engaging and motivating students, and all of these technologies do just that.”

The building also includes several “green” features, such as LED lighting, linoleum flooring and a solar panel designed to lower energy bills by pumping extra heat into the gym.

The more efficient use of space in the new school will likely prove to be a key feature that students and teachers can both appreciate.

“The spaces are designed to be more purposeful and well-utilized,” Ms. Lizotte said. “Areas like the big band room, kids are no longer going to be squished side by side with instruments bumping into one another. The gym provides spaces for different classes to take place.”

Both Mr. Sawyer and Ms. Lizotte were quick to praise the architectural firm, Lamoureux Pagano Associates, and the builder, Gilbane Construction, saying they were impressed with how input from educators was used in developing the final design.

“What gives me the most pride is that all of these people -- from educators to builders to architects -- came together had hundreds of meetings that were all designed to inform decisions as to how will we best meet the needs of our students,” said Ms. Lizotte.